Circle Of Gold
by c.ho.y
Summary: Rinoa is a princess and Seifer is her snotty knight. The feelings of hate are mutual.. and Squall? Squall's an assasin out to kill them both. In a world of deception and magic, fate unravels in unexpected ways. [SxRxS][Seiftis][Selvine][Squinoa][AU]
1. Fate

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**Circle Of Gold**

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* * *

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Fate

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Have you known what it is to feel alone even when surrounded by hundreds of people?

A crowd. Faces upon faces that mean nothing to you.

Absolutely nothing.

Yet… you keep pretending.

Before long you forget who you had originally done it for, _yourself_? _Family_? _Friends_? It becomes a blur.

There are many fake smiles and the echoing sound of glasses being clapped together in worldly praise. Such a thing is only expected at a ceremony such as this, a ceremony marking my coronation.

One might think that this is the part where things change, my life is drastically altered. I see no need for this, I have grown up my whole life preparing for this day and the days to follow.

I am completely prepared.

'Rinoa Heartilly, it is a pleasure,' a cool and confident voice addresses me from behind and startles me to the point of me jumping on the spot.

'Sir,' I simply mumble out when I see the man before me, Cid Kramer, the leader of some military force or another. I cannot tell them apart anymore.

'You are looking very nice tonight,' he comments, but his words are as false as the mouth that utters them. That everlasting grin marring his aged features. Such a man frightens me, a man who's face is unreadable no matter to what extent you search it for your answers. There will never be a result, just pure confusion and awe.

'Why thank you, you are looking quite dignified yourself, Sir,' I continue with the honorific speech as I light-heartedly set a hand on his arm and we share a chuckle. Fake.

It is quite hard to hear each other over the chattering amongst the couples which litter the enormous ballroom and the sounds of plates being moved from one table to the next. I glance around quickly, hunting for another spot to carry on our conversation.

The balcony.

I do not say a word, only slowly ushering him towards the predestined area by looping an arm through his own.

'There is a reason I have come to speak with you tonight, Miss Heartilly,' I do not like the sound of his voice, but I let him continue nonetheless, 'It is concerning an issue your father has brought up,'

Gagging seems to be my only possible reaction. My father, that despicable man. Must he infest every last corner of my dismal life?

He continues after taking in my silent brooding for a few moments, 'It is concerning your safety now that you are an official member of the assembly… as you well know, prestige comes with a high price,'

I only nod wearily and suddenly find myself becoming very paranoid of the outside world. My eyes scan heavily over the foliage of trees among the forest below me and down further yet unto the courtyard right below me. A fair two story drop.

'It was asked of me to find you… a suitable companion,'

'You mean a bodyguard?' I spout almost bitterly at the man, glaring slightly in his direction.

In reality, the only bitterness I feel is directed towards my father, whom does not seem to think I can do anything correctly without a watchful eye.

A life being dictated for me from behind the scenes.

'Well, not exactly,' Cid pauses, an anxious gleam in his eyes as he searches for the word, that perfect word which will captivate me.

'A _knight_,'

A knight?

'If this is what my father wishes, then I do not have much say against it, do I? However, I do appreciate you coming to tell me of this, it is quite necessary I would think. Rather, it would be quite startling to awaken in the midst of the night to some stranger of a man standing next to my bed, that is, assuming that my knight shall be a man?' I chuckle and this time it is a little less fake then before. Still fake though.

He laughs along with me but his diverted gaze alarms me.

'You should not have to worry about such things, the _man_ who will assume the role of your knight is one of our best, I can assure you,' he chuckles yet again in one of the ample attempts at keeping the conversation optimistic.

'I trust you,' I say, but it comes off quite coldly.

Then that long, ill at ease but completely and utterly expected silence ensues. The wind, the light yet muffled chatter coming from the ballroom, and then the sounds of echoing footsteps coming down the short hallway towards us from the activity.

I turn to face the oncoming stranger.

The shape is a mans, most likely the man who is to be my knight. I hold my breath as slowly the form enshrouded in darkness becomes more visible with each passing step. I can tell just by the way that this man is walking that he has no problems with his own self esteem and just one look at that smug smile would be enough to make any person think he owned whatever land he was to stand upon.

Then there are those eyes, catching glimpses of the reflective moonlight and illuminating them to an almost iridescent glow of emerald green. He looks like a man who has gotten in one too many scuffles at the pub, the long and thin scar running from just below his right eye to the left of his forehead only serving to amplify this thought. My eyes scan indifferently down the mans tall frame, from his large, black boots and black cargo pants to his gray, crossed vest and oversized trench coat, also gray and with padded, black lining. A ruffian in appearance, but looks can most definitely betray, I have been taught such from a very young age.

'Hey,' he states coolly to me and looks me up and down. He seems pleased with what he sees and I work to the best of my abilities to repress a blush from entering my cheeks. This only serves to work me up more, as always.

He smirks at this yet again, 'Looks like you're happy to see me,' he responds, not even bothering to address his General or whatever a military official of his stature might be called by.

'Excuse me?' I ask calmly but with that irritated tone that lets any and all people around me realize that I am in complete shock or discomfort.

He laughs at me, that airy little noise through his nose which only makes him seem more manly and unlikely for me to feel comfortable around.

For being royalty myself, I tend to put people on pedestals much too often, and therefore create a distance between me and that person before even being given a chance.

'This is Seifer Almasy, he will be escorting you to your various social and political events and will now be head of your security for the following year, your father has already had the courtesy of signing the contract with us before leaving on his trip. Normally we only do such things face to face but we were willing to have the papers signed via mail since your father had explained to us the importance of his meeting with the Generals of the Estate and also your father and I go a ways back, so exceptions were made,'

I dismiss Cid's clever grin and useless chatter after that point and realize soon that he is bidding me farewell. I walk him to the entrance of the vast castle I call my home and fall silent shortly after two of my servants close the doors behind him. I take in the delicate carvings on the doors, gold contrasting with the dark navy of the paint, my eyes shoot upwards to the faulty doors, the ones that are there just for show.

Then, I relate myself to these doors… and this is when I know that this process, this whole _lifestyle_ has slowly been driving me insane.

Then I feel a hand on my shoulder.

'Whoa! What're you so scared about? Jeez! Can't tell me you forgot about me already?'

I turn sharply towards the man, his blonde hair seeming to spark alive in the hallow lighting of the entrance hall. I put a hand to my chest but my gaze is intense and fierce.

It is then that I realize, I may not be as prepared as I had thought.

* * *

'It can not be that horrible, Rinoa,'

'But it will be!' I shouted at her, taking the gorgeous young woman off guard. She stood a good head above me in that slimming brown dress, her long, waist length blonde hair cascading in little ringlets over her shoulders, the bulk of it tied up in the back in that trademark manner of hers. Even in her fighting gear she maintained an air of absolute composure and dignity. I always think, 'Quistis Trepe should be the one in my position'... she _already_ has a fan base amongst the castle guard.

She yanks my blankets back without any regard as to the fact that I have been sleeping in just my underwear, and my arms immidietly fling around my chest.

'It is not like there is anything I have not seen before,'

Quistis says, then commences in doing that cute little laugh where she cups her mouth with her hand while trying to avoid my gaze. She can be the most blunt person in the world sometimes, but she will always think back later and regret any time that she has hurt somebody else's feelings.

An honorable and yet naive trait.

However, that is the least of my problems right now.

'Hey I got-! Oooohhh, Rinoa in the nude!' came the chirper remark from across the room, I only glare in the brunettes direction.

'Selphie, get me some clothes, now!' I yell, frustrated at the smaller girl, but trying my best to keep my voice as un-squeaky as possible. I have failed miserably at this. She finally comes romping back over with some clothes hanging off her shoulder until she eventually is nearly on top of me.

I shove her off uncomfortably and grapple for the clothing, not sparing a moment before slipping a long, flowy white piece of material over my head. It appears to have been meant as a shirt, but on somebody much bigger then myself. We all get a good laugh out of me as I stand with my arms out to my sides, admiring the way the shirt hangs just below my knees.

'Perfect fit!' Selphie cries eventually with that charming smile on her face. Over the years that I have been with them, I have seen all my friends grow older, but nobody has changed more with each passing day then Selphie Tilmitt, especially in appearance.

She used to have a short little bob cut that flipped outwards on the bottom, but then that became the fashion so she decided she needed to change it even further, never standing to be like somebody else for more then a minute. Her hair has now grown past her shoulders and flips _in_, surrounding her face in a choppy little frame. Her fashion sense is still that typical yellow, well, dress if you could still call it that? She has hemmed it so much that it now resembles a miniature skirt which cuts off at mid-thigh, and she has also completely devastated the middle piece of the clothing. It is more like a belly shirt and a skirt now, with some fine black lace detailing the parts she had had to cut. Selphie, of course, is our castles seamstress and also one of my bodyguards and closest friends.

I completely blank out when I see Quistis pulling out that small, scroll-like piece of tapestry.

That, right there in her hand, that is my life.

Planned out specifically for me, to the very last second. From my waking moments to the time where I close my eyes to fall asleep at night, planned.

When I was little, this had not bothered me so much, but this goes beyond parental control. I hate him, I hate my father.

If you want to know who is a self absorbed, over confident, idiotic stooge no better at their job then their lack of ability to give any kind of guidance when needed, I will tell you, it is-

'Rinoa!' Selphie shouts in my face and I jump so hard that I fall back into the antique, wooden dresser behind me. I reach out dumbly as I fall, trying to grab a ledge but only ending up having my hand cut wide open by a jagged corner which had been broken off previously by an earlier spell of my inelegance.

Quistis spares no time in racing to my side, carefully inspecting the bloody and splinter-infested wound.

'I am alright, Quistis, it is fine,' I withhold the childish tears threatening to fall from my eyes as the stinging pain wells up and then resides time and time again. Looking down I see that the wound is very noticeable, leaving a large, open cut right in the middle of the top of my right hand. Tiny little spikes of wood are framing the cut and also embedded inside of the spongy red surface. The blood alone is enough to make me feel faint, but then there is that one, enormous splinter sticking directly out of the middle. The one that is lodged in so deep that I can feel it between the bones in my hand whenever I move a finger.

'We have to get you to the doctor straight away!' Quistis announces hurriedly as she takes me by my other hand and cradles the injured one in her own. I dare not look at her now, ashamed at how easily I had injured myself and how now it is her problem. A waste of _her _time.

However, in a very royal fashion I do not apologize either, knowing that it would be politically incorrect to ask forgiveness of somebody who is technically a slave that my father has hired. We _used_ to be friends before her and Selphie left at the ages of fifteen and fourteen and joined some military force. Then they had come back only a year ago, after three years, wanting to see me again only to be surprised by the jobs that my father had offered them.

Now they are both just human resources in this large, political world that I live in.

'I hope Ms. Kadowaki can bandage that up as inconspicuously as possible, you do not want anybody noticing it tonight at your coronation,'

'It will be perfectly fine,' a lie.

Yet, Quistis turns to me and smiles and I admire the rose color of her lipstick as she does.

'If you say so'.

A slave.

* * *

'So what did you do to your hand?'

'Leave me alone,'

'No, what the hell happened to your damn hand already?'

'Do you not understand the meaning of an _order_?' I yell, frustrated with the completely clueless man.

Thirteen days, _thirteen days_. I am dying, I cannot stand this arrogant man for another minute.

'You are _so _annoying! Why can't you just tell me already? Christ!'

Yes, arrogant, foul-mouthed… who cares if he has an excellent body? And… amazing eyes, and a self-confidence that is completely infuriating but at the same time, arousing.

'Because it is none of your business! That is why!' I slam the door to my bedroom in his face and lock it, soon after hearing the pounding of his fists on the door.

'I hate you snotty royalty, you don't think you gotta answer to anybody, which normally I'd agree with, but _you_ do it in such a stuck up way that it's _fucking impossible_ not to hate you for it!'

I feel hot tears burn the backs of my eyes and blink furiously to stop them from coming, again, I fail at this.

'Shut up and go away!' I yell at him, my voice only slightly shaky.

'Don't go and start the tears because I'm not going to feel sorry for you!' he said it and I could hear in his voice that it wasn't a lie. His voice illustrated utter disgust and hatred towards me, and the stomping of his feet as he marched away from my room was enough to let anybody know that something… or _somebody _had just _really _angered him.

I do not care. I do not. I keep telling myself this, that I do not care what he thinks of me. Why should I?

But it is so intensely frustrating that nobody ever bothers to listen to me, to see me as more then a stereotype. I voice my opinions regularly but they never seem to get heard, even at such a high standing I am powerless… is it just me? Am I the problem?

_No._

'No… no I am not,'

* * *

'_Seifer!_'

The man standing in the corner of the room jumps and after glaring over in my direction, throws something out of frustration onto the floor. There is the sound of metal scraping across it as whatever it is slides out of sight.

'Jesus Christ!' his screams go far beyond any kind of noise I could ever imagine making, almost shaking the floor beneath me, or maybe that is just my knees shaking?

'What the hell do you want?'

'You do not know me!' I hate it, when the tears start coming and you cannot hold them back. I have a will but it is never enough, my body decides for itself.

He is startled for a moment and I feel a hot tear stream down my cheek, I try not to let the embarrassment show. In the exact fashion I presumed he would, Seifer pulls back, his face becoming hard as stone, a reflection of hatred in his eyes.

'Sickening,' he stares me straight in the eyes, and they burn, '… ha,' his head tilts down and he inspects his shoes, then whatever it was that he had been holding.

'And I don't _want_ to know you'.

My mouth drops wide open and he meets my eyes again, there is a something there, an emotion that is unclear but concentrated in all of its supremacy.

'Uh… excuse me?'

Both Seifers and my own head whip around to face the source of the voice, and I see one of my servants. A skinny, tall man, hunched over himself in an unsure manner. He is eyeing me every other moment beneath his small blue soldiers cap and tugging at the straps across his chest holding the musket to his back.

'Miss Rinoa?'

I wipe the tears from eyes and stand straight, blinking furiously but maintaining my composure.

'Yes? What is it?'

He tilts his head to the side and gives Seifer a curious look before continuing.

'There is a man here, he would like to see you, both,'

'Both of us?' Seifer asks, but his voice renders him uninterested.

The young soldier nods and I turn from him to Seifer and back to him again.

'Tell me his name,'

'He says his name is-'

'My name is…'

I flinch, surprised by the man now standing in the corner of the room. He is dressed in very skin-tight black clothing, and his face is covered by the rim of his own soldiers cap, a darker color identifying him as higher general. Although, the air about him makes me extremely uneasy.

Then he looks up and I gaze into his eyes. They are familiar, but at the same time, so very different.

_Such a man frightens me, a man who's face is unreadable no matter to what extent you search it for your answers. There will never be a result, just pure confusion and awe._

'Leon'.

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	2. The Beginning

_Pre-authors notes_; Everything is in Rinoa's point of view, and if I do switch the point of view from hers to somebody else's then I will make sure to try and make it clear. Also, there are some more time jumps in this chapter, just to make you aware while you a reading it, thanks and enjoy.

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_Destiny In Motion_

The Beginning

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'Let her go,'

A voice, threatening.

'No,' an agile laugh, shaking my body, fingers brushing firmly over my shaking figure.

Cold, crystalline blue eyes hold me still more then his grip does. More then the fatal injury, the blood that I can hear dropping to the floor, my own.

'_Bastard_, what do you think you're even accomplishing?'

Seifer's hunched over figure catches my attention from the other side of the room, holding his bloodied, nearly decapitated arm.

'Nothing,' the mysterious man says and smiles. Seifer had said his real name earlier… what had it been?

-

'Get back!' Seifer had screamed, taking both me and the young soldier at my doorway off guard.

He had gripped at my arm, pulling me back roughly and we both watched as the man who had just entered the room did not hesitate a moment before piercing the young soldier from behind. A face so cruelly memorized by my mind only moments before.

A body falling to the floor with a thud. The young man obviously dead.

My mind had begun to rush and all I could do was take in Seifer's scent as he pressed me behind him and I leaned into his back. Manly, like a dull peppermint mixed with cinnamon.

'What are you here for, Squall?'

-

Everything had happened so quickly after that, I cannot remember precisely what had happened. Seifer ended up fighting the man, especially when he had come at me. I had asked him why he was protecting me, and he had simply replied 'I don't like you, but it's my job'. Pitiless words even from a man risking his life for me. Does a simple job really hold that much power over somebody?

'Squall?'

My eyes flutter, and the lights above me make my vision hazy. I catch a glimpse of the man above me whom I had just addressed. He looks surprised, no, mortified.

As if he has just realized that it is a human he is holding in his arms.

Seifer says something but the blood rushing in my ears grows louder and louder, I feel myself twitching, my body moving restlessly as I realize something is wrong. So incredibly wrong.

Then the darkness washes over me, like something completely natural.

Something meant to be.

* * *

'Rinoa!! Where is she?!' a frantic blonde woman comes into the room only moments after I've collapsed.

The whole time that I've been lying here, with that corpse and the shattered window, I've been squirming, cursing. Cradling my injured, nearly severed arm. Reaching for what I hope is an escape. I just want to see her face again, be with her, I'm tired of this all, so tired…

'Ah? _Oh Hyne_, are you alright?!' the tap of the womans high-heeled boots as she comes towards me, and then what I had been fearing, happens.

'_CRACK_'

'Oh? What is this?' she leans over, taking my hope, my escape, into one of her gloved hands.

I don't know how pitiful I must look, weak, unwanted, desperate… but I don't care, I want that picture back.

'Don' fuckin' touch that!'

She only gasps and slowly, _very_ slowly kneels down to me. When her face comes into view I'm astonished, those pale blue eyes, ivory skin, fine strands of honey-blonde hair framing her thin face. So much like _her_, even the full lips lined with bright red, _even_ the _lipstick_ looks the same!

'Uh… hello? Can you hear me?' I suddenly realize that she has been trying to talk to me. I struggle with my one good arm to sit up and her jaw drops.

'Wait! Do not move!' I arch an eyebrow at this command suddenly barked at me. I realize that I'm in somewhat of a daze because I completely missed her getting up and tearing a piece of linen from the quilt on my bed, in the guestroom where I've been staying. She is suddenly tying it onto my wounded arm as tightly as her strength and my flesh will allow and gently lending me her hand. I reject it, and stumble to my feet.

My eyes scan the room again, where is it?

'Hey, you need to get the doctor to help you, if you do not, then soon you may bleed to death!' I can only wonder why there is so much concern on this womans voice. She is a stranger to me but I assume that she must be one of Rinoa's servants.

'Leave me alone,' I grumble and make my way to the bed, cursing at how dizzy I've suddenly become. I wait for all the blood to rush back to my head, for my eyes to focus and my heart to stop racing as fast as it is.

There is a sigh from the corner of the room, the muttering of two people, and I don't bother to look back.

_Ha, I'll probably be fired, only two weeks and I've already failed. Cid just wanted to get rid of me, this is my fault._

'Hey… this is yours?'

I had completely forgotten the blondes presence but gave her a grateful smile when she handed me the broken picture frame. I look down at it, the broken shards of glass cutting out the vision of the picture beneath them.

My fingers reach shakily towards the glass, hoping to pry them away and get to the true sentiment, what it had been meant to protect.

'Careful,' the woman says, grabbing my hand away.

I look over to her now sitting by my side on the bed, the white sheets are stained with red. She must be watching me, having told somebody else to go get the doctor. I don't care anyways, I failed.

I watch like a dumbfounded baby as she reaches over, softly brushing away the tiny glass remains from the photograph in my lap.

She gasps at what confronts her.

* * *

_Ah, where am I?_

'Why?'

'I… don't know,'

'You were to bring them both to me, and that was to be that… and did I not tell you _how_ I wanted them to be brought to me?'

'Yes,'

'I will discuss this with you later, I don't have time for you right now,'

'Yes…'

_I am cold, and my neck hurts… and, I am so scared. _

'You!' I gasp out in a raspy voice as the man from earlier steps into the room, the person he had been speaking to a moment ago having vanished from sight in the room further back, in the realm outside of the doorway.

He looks at me and irritably shoves my head back down onto the pillow of the bed I find myself on. I quickly swat him away fearing that my young womanhood is in jeopardy.

'Hey! What do you think you are doing? Do not touch me!'

'You need to rest,' he says almost too quietly to hear and gets up from the bed. The expression crossing his face makes it seem like he is scared of me.

'Tell me where I am,' I demand and he turns to me, his scruffy, auburn hair framing pallid flesh and divinely blue eyes.

'You don't have the right to know that yet, now be quiet and do as I say,' he states matter-of-factly and turns, ready to leave.

'Excuse me?' I mock and take just enough time to scan my eyes over his new apparel. Tight leather black pants and a white undershirt. When he turns back around to say something I also notice the chain around his neck and what seems to be a lions head hanging off of it, carved into metal.

'Alright, how about this?' out of sheer anger or annoyance, I cannot tell which of the two, he backtracks all the way to the bed, leaning in so that our faces are only mere centimeters apart.

'Be quiet and do as I say or I'll slit your throat, again, and this time I _won't _heal you'.

'Y-you slit my throat?' I gulp and one of my hands reaches for my neck.

I know that it has been hurting, but… is that even possible? _How_?

'How did you-?'

'-There are a lot of things I can do that you can't'.

I did not think it was possible for another man to be more arrogant then Seifer… I guess I was wrong.

I inspect the empty room after, what was his name, Squall? Oh yes, it was Squall.

After Squall seemed like he had suddenly remembered something and rushed out the door.

It is not very large, and I can see a window in the corner of the room at the end of where the bed is positioned. It is a navy blue room, with a bedside table, a lamp, and a dresser. Besides that it is completely empty. 'Maybe it is his room?' I think and check it once again for any sign that this may be true.

Finally, the rather tall man comes back into the room, those petrifying eyes focusing on me and capturing me.

I suddenly realize what he had left the room for when he dumps a plate of fruits onto the bedside table.

I do not know what to say, so I just mumble a 'thank you'.

He stands over me for a few moments as I nibble at some of the grapes he has brought me.

Glancing up at him every now and then I am surprised to find him doing the same. Taking nervous glances in my direction. What is it with him? First he gives me the impression that he is a big-headed jerk, and now he is making me feel bad for being so rude before, acting so sensitive, insecure even.

I turn my body and suddenly realize the chain on my arm, I gape at it, then at him.

'Oh, that's why,' he says, expecting me to know what he means.

'What is this? Take this off of me, right now!' I yell, furious and ready to rip into him with all I have got.

'Ha, I was wondering why you were being so… good,'

'So _good_? I am not some little puppy you can handle whichever way you like! Now, unchain me! _Now_!'

My voice goes squeaky again, something that happens often when I am really worked up. I fight with the chain but to no avail.

He smirks at me, the closest thing I have seen to a smile on his face, and then just as quickly he retreats from the room yet again.

It takes a few minutes this time, before he comes back into the room. He seems shifty, jittery almost. His eyes keep glaring around the space like there are millions of unseen enemies lurking around each and every corner.

'Tell me your name,' I say, food half hanging out of my mouth. I do not even know why I have said it.

'Very lady like,' he says, without a smile or any kind of emotion behind it. Just a stare.

I swallow, a very dry and hard swallow. Then glare up at him again, 'Hey! That is not answering me. I think the least you can do is tell me who you _really_ are!'

He bends over at the end of the bed and lifts a strange case onto it. It looks like it could hold a guitar or something, but is too small for that… maybe a violin?

He pulls out a sword.

'That's the last thing I want to talk to you about'.

I feel like biting this guys head off. Throwing any smart remark I can in his direction. Instead I sit on the bed quietly, realizing that I am choking on a grape.

I try to cough, it will not come out. My hand starts slamming my own chest convulsively. How long have I been choking on this thing without noticing? I cannot make a sound and I cannot get any air. It is so restrictive. My face feels like it is on fire and my head like it is going to explode, like it is swelling up and pulsing. I look around and cannot find Squall anywhere.

Where has he gone?! He cannot leave at a time like this! Does he even realize what is happening to me? Is this really how I am going to die? Choking on a miserable grape after getting kidnapped by some disrespectful man with no manners?

I feel something cold jabbing my wrist and suddenly I am getting pulled to my feet. I am so dizzy, but I can still feel the arms being wrapped around my waist, the force coming directly with it.

Then suddenly I can breathe, and I fall backwards. The person holding me stumbles and my vision which had slowly been driven into blackness returns.

There is the room, the sword case still sitting open on the bed, a chain with an open arm link near it.

I look down and see the grape.

I try to moan but I cannot even do that, suddenly choking on the air and making small wheezing noises.

Then, behind me there is a groan, and I am turned around to sit down on the bed, coming face to face with Squall.

I know I probably should not like my capture as much as I do at this very moment, but he saved my life! I feel like leaping into his arms!

'Freak, who chokes on a _grape_?'

Maybe not.

'Did you…' cough, 'just call,' cough, 'me a freak?'

Oh joy, my voice just _had _to crack at the end, sending it into yet another squeaky high-pitched interval.

'You saying you're not?'

Busy again, with his back turned to me.

I grapple with the idea of running, I am currently unchained and remain so without this Squall person paying any real attention to this little detail. My eyes dart around the room, to find the closest escape. As this is reality, all I can see from where I am sitting is the hallway, I do not even know where I am. It seems like a small house somewhere, but I cannot be certain. We could be in the middle of nowhere, then how would I get away? What is my plan for an escape route when I do not even know the layout of the house or even where this house may be?

'Bathroom?'

'What?' he snaps at me, the random comment most likely taking him off guard.

'Um, the bathroom? Could I please use it?'

He looks me over, eyes intense, body stiffening.

'No,'

'What? You cannot tell me that! I woman has the right to use the facilities when she so desires, now take me to the bathroom!'

'It's not about that. You're acting too polite now… don't even think of taking off, unless you _really_ want to end up dead'.

I glare at him and he turns once more, finishing up whatever he had been packing in his bag from the small dresser and finally spinning back towards me.

He looks me over with what seems to be compassion and nervousness in his eyes. Then he thrusts a couple of the bags in my direction. I fall backwards on the bed and dart back up, ready to yell at the top of my lungs.

With one single look he tells me he will not except this and I do not know why, but I listen and keep my mouth shut. This man really knows how to communicate with his eyes. Those gorgeous eyes.

Wait, why am I even thinking that?

He looks around his room like it is the last time he will ever be seeing it and finally his gaze falls back on me.

'Come on, it's time to go,' and he turns and does not look back.

* * *

_Post-authors notes_; I have some very interesting advances in the plot now, more to be revealed in later chapters. Keep reading and supporting me with your comments/telling me what you think. Thank you! 


	3. Unwanted Company

_Pre-authors notes_; There is not a lot of jumping around in this chapter, although there are still _some _time jumps. I think I did a good job of making them quite obvious this time, though. So if you still have any worries about that then please message me or review and tell me. Oh, and it starts out in Squalls point of view. Other then that, enjoy.

* * *

-

Unwanted Company

-

_Love is lies, love is eyes  
Love is everything that's nice  
Love is others cold as ice  
But that's what that means to me_

_Well I'm going out  
I'm gonna find myself some-_

'_SLAM'_

I pick up the pen that has dropped to the floor in between the two seats. My eyes are so heavy, I can hardly keep them open. The road, it keeps stretching on for what seems like forever. Headlights, stars and pavement. Too much time to think. Too much time.

Just thinking.

Without the radio on it's worse, but, just can't listen to it anymore. It's frustrating me, my whole life, it's frustrating me.

So frustrating.

The girl struggles in her sleep, I hear the rustling of her clothing in the back seat and check in the rear-view mirror to ensure that she is still safe… not choking on a grape or anything. Why does she have to be so pretty? Usually things like this don't faze me… Why is it that since the moment I held her, I've just wanted to be near her even more?

What's going on? I can't possibly have feelings…? No, I couldn't, that can't be what this is.

It's too soon. I've already agreed that I won't ever, never again.

But then why am I-?

The lights from a vehicle behind us fill up the car and cut off my thoughts, I glance quickly to the road again, bright spots of light now blurring my vision. In some kind of reflexive movement, my body repeats the motion of looking in the mirror at the girl. She looks so pure, saintly… with the intense light washing over her completely relaxed form. I hadn't noticed before, the color of her hair, her fair complexion, how small and fragile looking she is.

Like a child.

Maybe that's why I want to protect her? Maybe...

-

I stare at him from behind and chuckle inwardly. He thinks I am asleep.

He is intent on the road, the radio humming gently in the background. I cannot make out the song, it is something about love?

I jump as he slams off the radio. Talk about built up rage? Or maybe he is just an angry driver…

I move a bit to get more comfortable, not being able to stand the seat belt buckle jabbing into my side any longer. Gratefully he does not take a second glance, only dismissing it as me moving in my sleep. My hair falls over one of my eyes and so I make an effort to open it without squinting the other or making it completely obvious. It is dark and so is my hair, so I feel that I am safe in doing this.

Squall sits in the front seat, brooding. From the short time I have been in this mans presence I have noticed that, he is an excellent 'brooder'. He can seriously beat anybody, hands-down, at brooding and of course, looking thoroughly pissed.

I wonder if he is irritated because of me? I do not even know where he is taking me… why am I not more scared? I mean… he killed a man in cold blood. No hesitation, second-thoughts, nothing. That young man, he was like nothing to him. That is… scary.

So why do I still feel so _safe_?

Finally I realize his eyes are focused on me in the back seat and I clamp my eye shut. Damn, did he notice that I am awake?

I wait for it, the smart remark, a laugh? But there is nothing. Slowly, I open the one eye again, he is looking away, brooding again. I breathe a sigh of relief at once but just as soon as I do he is staring again. Why does he keep looking back here?

Oh, I get it…

He's brooding about _me_.

* * *

'Out of all the people, why you?'

'Hey, relax man, ease up! You haven't even given me a chance yet!'

'I don't want to give you a chance, you bother me'.

The two men sat silently at the table again, the awkward silence hovering between them.

'How long is this going to take… uh, what's the name again?'

'… Seifer, and I don't know, now stop trying to start conversation with me'.

Silence.

'I'm Irvine, by the way, just in case you want to know… which you don't, because you're being a total jerk'.

Silence followed by a 'I'll-kill-you' glare. Irvine shuddered at the man.

The train shook and screeched against the rails, thrusting the men in their chairs, nearly knocking them completely over.

'I'm just gonna, go out there… See ya,' Irvine muttered eventually, as the blonde continued ignoring him.

As soon as he exited the room and the doors and driven shut he rested against an outside wall. Tension wasn't something the poor boy could deal with so well. From a young age he had always known this. Therefore, he had gotten into the habit of compensating. You know, just like little people drive big cars. He realized that he could balance out his lack of calm in tense situations by acting overly confident in himself.

At least, it had worked up until now.

This Seifer Almasy was one intimidating man. Freakishly so.

'Heyyyy!!! What're ya doin' out here, hmm? Shouldn't you be getting to sleep?' the boy jumped.

What he saw however was nothing to be afraid of. Tight, firm thighs, nice hips, not too top heavy but perfectly curvy. Petite, but he liked them that way, small and sassy.

'Well,' Irvine gaped, tilting his cowboy hat and finally assuming his trademark 'flirting' pose, 'Howdy'.

Selphie giggled at this small action and his reply, startled to feel her heart racing.

'I'm Selphie Tilmitt! Say, I haven't seen you around the castle before, who are you?'

The young man gave another quirky grin and shook his head, like he was mentally getting himself pumped. His small ponytail filled with thick, honey-brown hair tossed and turned with it.

Then eventually, he prowled around to the young womans side, wrapping a friendly arm around her in the process.

'Well, I'm just really, _really _relieved to find out that there is actually somebody cool on this trip!Everybody else is so uptight, like that Quistis chick, she's a babe, but she's a major downer, _way _too strict,'

'Uhm, she's my best friend'.

The honey-brown haired man stopped in his tracks, gulping and turning to the girl, giving her one of his most enormous and charming grins.

'Oh, well, you know what I mean, right?'

'Well… yeah, I guess, she can be kinda uptight sometimes, like somebody's mother!'

Irvine laughed and tightened his grip around the girls shoulders, she didn't seem to mind, but turned him slowly towards the windows lining the hallways of the train. The stars filled the sky over the plains at night. With no city lights to dim them they shone like she had never seen them before. Absolutely magnificent.

Then she looked to her side again, at this man she had just met. Absolutely magnificent, or so he appeared.

Suddenly, she found herself getting very shy.

She nodded along with what he had been saying, something about Seifer and how much of a loser he is. Selphie didn't really know this 'Seifer' guy, she knew that he had been assigned to protect Rinoa, but besides that…

'So who are you again? I mean, why are you here?' Selphie had the magic ability to be incredibly blunt with someone, but still seem like a sweetheart.

Irvine smiled at the girl but realized that avoiding the question any further would not be smart, she would only grow irritated.

She looked at the stars while waiting for the young 'cowboy' to answer. She felt his grip loosen and then she turned back to him.

'Man whore'.

Irvine and Selphie both turned as Seifer stormed past them without giving them a chance to reply. Irvine only turned to the brunette and scratched the back of his head, figuring that this was the perfect time to get away from having to answer the question.

'Hey, I like you, why don't we talk later, okay? I've got to go settle things with Seifer now, so, see you later!' Irvine winked before taking off, leaving Selphie completely smitten and bewildered.

An infatuation had been born.

Selphie turned, the mans radiant eyes still reflecting in her own. Selphie stood, asking herself questions, waiting for her heart to stop beating out of her chest, and looking up at the stars.

Absolutely magnificent.

* * *

'Hurry up! It will take us all day if you don't stop complaining and just move it!'

'Excuse me?! Why do you not just keep your own mouth shut, thank you! I could always just sit down here, or drop your stupid luggage!'

Squall turned to the raven-haired girl, a cold glare diminishing his good looks.

Rinoa felt like telling him 'you would be much cuter if you would smile' but figured that it would only help to annoy him even further.

Desert. When Rinoa had finally awoken it had been to a desolate, dry, vast expanse of a desert-like plain. Not actual sand everywhere, although the ground surely resembled something close to.

She felt like screaming, denying that this could even possibly be happening to her, and throwing the full bags of God-knows-what at the back of Squalls head.

She didn't though, instead she followed behind him obediently, stopping every once and a while to regain some strength in her arms and to catch her breath. Once or twice she had thought that maybe, just _maybe_, he was going to take one of the bags for her, even though he was already carrying two himself. But that wasn't going to happen, he'd always just frown even deeper and toss a bitter 'move it' at her.

Now her legs were hurting, she was sweating to the point where it wasn't even natural for a human being anymore, and she couldn't feel a thing in either of her arms. She didn't understand why they couldn't just have taken the car, but this Squall seemed intent on them walking to wherever their destination was to be.

'Where could we be going where we cannot take a vehicle?' the young girl thought, heaving the bags back over her shoulders again and trudging forward after seeing Squall turn and narrow his eyes at her.

'You are a cruel man! How can you make me do this? I bet I even have the heavier bags!'

The brunette said nothing, simply turning, soaring towards her and dumping his bags on the ground.

'Give them to me,' he commanded and Rinoa eyed him wearily while doing as he had said.

Without hesitation and an unreadable look crossing his features he picked the bags that she had been carrying up and started walking away.

Rinoa only stood there, eyeing the new bags uneasily. She gradually reached towards the strap of one of the big, black bags and recoiled before even lifting it an inch.

'Ahhh!' she screamed, causing the man to turn, fear written all over his features.

'What is it?' he shot at her, more like he was ordering her to do something then asking a question.

'It, it is, all _sweaty_! Ewwwww! That is _sooooo _gross!!' Squall scrunched his nose and creased his brows to show he was not amused.

'You think your's weren't sweaty, too? Jesus, now stop complaining! I'm tired of it. I know it may be hard for you to understand, but you aren't in your stupid palace anymore, princess, so just try to do things without having to open your mouth for on- Ow!'

'Serves you right!' Rinoa said, lifting the bag above her head again smugly.

'H-how can you lift that? Isn't it… heavy?'

The raven-haired girl looked innocently at the man before her, and then turned to look back a couple of meters where the other bag was still sitting.

'Why did you dump it all out?!'

'I… I dumped it all out because you need to learn some manners!'

Squall only grunted, dropping both of his bags and snatching the other bag back from the girl, marching past her and shoving the contents back into it impatiently.

'Why do you need so many things, anyways?'

Rinoa squirmed on the spot, digging her toes into the ground and making small circles in it while swaying from side to side. Her hands clasped and unclasped nervously as she looked on at the aggravated man.

He paused and sighed heavily, eventually finishing up shoving the rest of the innards back into the bag and zipping it closed.

'Fine then, leave those'.

He said it almost softly, but still firmly. Like he was almost sad but didn't want it to be obvious.

'R-really?' Rinoa asked, looking over at the two that he had set down earlier as he shoved past her with the others hanging over each shoulder.

He didn't bother to respond, and after a few nervous glances from the bags (which seemed so lonely sitting there) and back to Squall, Rinoa hesitantly followed behind, empty-handed.

* * *

'Pretty girl! Pretty girl! Buy this? Shiny, smells good! Like it? Like it?'

'Just keep walking,' Rinoa glanced over to Squall as he bent over to whisper in her ear, and she obeyed, only smiling to the suntanned merchant and continuing on her way.

A way that she wasn't even certain of yet.

Streets packed full of people covered in long black robes, so that you could only tell most of their genders by size. Although, most of the men weren't quite as covered.

Rinoa felt naked in front of the eyes of these men, but thought 'we are more like walking money to these people, as it is obvious that we are foreigners… I wonder if my father rules over this region as well?'

She had also noticed the lack of any type of automobiles, and figured that the reason for them leaving the car had something to do with this.

'Where are we?' the raven-haired girl asked of the stoic man, who continued like he was all by himself, tired and ready to bite anybodies head off who dared approach him. He didn't scare Rinoa, though. A reason unknown, even to her.

'Oasis,' came his lone reply, and Rinoa looked down at the dried up dirt beneath her feet. She didn't know why, but the Sun seemed especially sweltering in these conditions, in a place like this. 'I guess that is what the robes are for, these people must get very hot, perhaps such a type of clothing is only necessary?' she thought.

A crowd, faces upon faces. The strange thing was, that the telling eyes of these people seemed to make Rinoa feel something she hadn't felt in a long time. Like a human, a person amongst the crowd instead of looked up to, revered in nothing but name.

'Rinoa?' Squall snapped and the young girl finally realized that he had stopped, outside a small, run-down looking abode.

'Yes?' she inquired, still quite dazed but coming to recognize the fact that she wasn't liking the look of the place.

'Come on,' he responded, looking slightly relieved to have gotten her attention finally.

He turned to enter the small place, a green, molding building which looked like it had been turned over on itself, rolled around in the dirty earth it sat upon before finally coming to its resting place in a very abandoned end of the city. Yes, Rinoa was starting to get _incredibly _horrible feelings about this.

'I am not going in there,' Squall turned back to her and right away she could read the rant building up in his eyes, about her not being royalty anymore and to stop complaining.

'I will not put myself in such a situation, up until now you have seemed like a, presentable man, at the most… however, you are still a man,'

Squall looked completely flabbergasted before he began turning a strange color. Rinoa raised a brow, thinking 'breath?' before realizing, he was blushing.

But before she could get in a smart remark he had retorted, in a quite zealous tone, 'I-I'm not like that!'

He then commenced in storming off in the direction of the far less then attractive dwelling.

* * *

'_Ahhh!!_'

Angry faces, not human. Like a devils, dripping with sweat, coated with the reflection of flames in those beady, yellow and red eyes. She ran, ran into fields of flowers, away from the creatures that suddenly surrounded her. Just when she thought she could breath a sigh of relief the flowers around her began to burn and smoke clouded the once peaceful field instantly.

'_Get away! Just go away!_' she cried feverishly and swatted away with her arms, only to be burned by the fires surrounding her. She collapsed, a small body shivering in the field now diminished to ashes.

Then there was something, inexplicable. A feather, a feather floated downwards before her vision, white as the day, almost glowing against the light of the flames and the darkness of the night.

'_Wings..! I have.. wings?!' _

-

'Whoa! Come on, goddammit, wake up! _Rinoa_!'

'Ahhhh! Wha-what? Stop shaking me like that!'

What is he _doing?_ Where am I? Wait… oh yes.

It takes me a while before I manage to regain my composure and my memory of the last few hours of my life. Stranded, in the middle of nowhere in a nearly abandoned merchants town, in this sad-excuse for a motel. Very sad. The first thing I had noticed after entering the room was the dirtiness of it. From the bed sheets to the dirt-covered floor, it was a mess. I had tried to clean it from top to bottom, as much as possible before I had to sleep in it, and secretly, to keep myself occupied. Whoever disagrees with a womans urge to clean when upset is probably a rare person indeed. Even me, a princess usually used to servants doing this for her felt this a task necessary to be fulfilled, in all of my hormone induced glory. True, it is that time of the month, lets just say (and leave it at that) but the stress about my situation has been building sufficiently with the time. I think it is reasonable to think that this is partially because it has only recently been setting in.

I have been kidnapped by a murderer, a man with unidentified intentions, and we are now in the middle of nowhere in a _one-bed _motel room.

'Well, you were shaking the bed…'

'Hey,' I suddenly realize something and do not understand why it brings happiness to me, 'You have never called me by my name before…!'

Even in the dark I could see him draw back, but unlike Seifer, he just fell silent, no crude remarks being shot back in my direction.

'I guess…' he said, and I could feel one of his hands still on my shoulder, clammy.

He pulls it away when he first notices me looking and considers rolling back over and trying to get back to sleep.

'You are sweating? You should just take the blanket off if you are too hot' I mention, probably just the maternal instinct kicking in, I am almost positive that my hormones are to blame for me shooting off my mouth like this.

He looks away for a few moments, just long enough for me to notice the way the moonlight comes in through the curtains in one corner of the room and lines one half of his face. His eyes are always the first thing that I notice, such a prominent feature on his gorgeous face. At times they seem almost gray, then, like now, they can look such an intense blue that it is outstanding.

He turns back to me after much deliberation and I await his reply, eagerness readable on all of my features.

'Whatever'.

Whatever? _Whatever_?!

'What? Are you not going to apologize for waking me up?! You still have not explained yourself!'

'Just go to sleep!' he manages to yell at me groggily.

'No!' Silence, 'Squall?' Silence, 'Hey, are you sleeping?'

'God! If I had known you'd be _this _annoying I would have kept you outside! I wouldn't have even _tried _to help you!'

'Help me?! How is this _helping _me?! Taking me out to the middle of nowhere! Yelling at me and ordering me around! You _killed _one of my soldiers! You call that _helping _me?'

Squall bolts upright in bed, using its bouncy recoil to propel himself onto his other side to face me again. It is just now that I realize he is without a shirt on, then the blankets ride down further, and I become aware that he is also… pants-less?!

'Ahh!' I point, 'Get some clothes on! Now!'

I close my eyes and look away, anywhere but at the now completely startled and half-naked man.

'Open your eyes,' he tells me time and time again, but I just shake my head, with my hands covering my eyes every single time.

Finally after hearing him get up from the bed and rummage around for awhile I open them the next time he tells me to.

He is now back in his clothes, that white undershirt and his tight black pants.

'Happy now?' he asks, but with a tone that tells me he does not really care to hear my answer.

'Yes,' I reply anyways and bat my eyes shyly, feeling a little bad now for making him get into his clothes when he had already been so hot. I suppose I may have taken it the wrong way, but… too late now.

'Now, if you've got to know, so that I can get some freakin' sleep tonight, you were shaking the bed and screaming in your sleep. Seeing as this is of no benefit to me _or _you, I decided to wake you up, do you really have a problem with that?'

'You know, you only sound like you care when you get mad… otherwise you basically have no emotion to your voice at all,' why did I say that? I do not know, do not even bother to ask me.

'Do you have a _problem _with that?' he repeats, in a much more anger-induced manner.

I feel like saying '_see_?' but refrain to a 'No'.

'Good, now, goodnight,'

'Wait, what do you mean, you are trying to protect me?'

'I… I'll tell you later… goodnight,'

'_I'll tell you later? I suppose I can live with that, for now…'_

'Oh, okay… goodnight then, Squall'.

* * *

'May I?'

The blonde man swiveled in his seat, caught off guard by who he found standing before him.

'Uh, yeah,' he coughed out, feeling tense even before the conversation was to begin, or lack there of.

'Thank you'.

The pale blonde woman moved into the room slowly and finally took a seat across from the man. After a few moments of silence, pinched lips and unsure glances, the woman decided to speak.

'Seifer, I have been wanting to speak with you since we left the castle…'

'Aha… I figured you would, what's the name again?'

'Quistis… Quistis Trepe, anyways, I would like to know who exactly-uhm-who exactly was that woman in the photograph?'

Seifer grimaced at the question but besides that, he didn't let a hint of emotion show. Except a cold attitude, the one he had become so renowned and also completely hated for.

He leaned back in his seat comfortably, stretching long and lean legs out in front of himself and crossing them, then folding two tanned and buff arms behind his head.

'She was my wife,' Seifer laughed at the astonished look on the womans face opposite him.

'Your _wife_?!'

'Ha, yeah, I know, that's the usual reaction…' his narrow eyes watched the woman intently as she worked up a response.

'Oh, I just would not take you as the type to want to settle down so quickly, let alone to have already been married, you are my age, are you not?'

A firm nod.

'Do you really think this train is taking us to the right place? I mean, do you really think this guy can help us?' Seifer looked uninterested as he asked it and Quistis didn't seem to understand straight away, still absorbed in the shock of the knowledge she had just gained.

'Uh, yes, yes it will, we don't have many leads, so we need to get as much information on this man who kidnapped Rinoa as possible. Right now, all we know is that his name is 'Squall Leonhart', he is seventeen, of a slim build and wields a gunblade. He is also recognized for having rather strong magic abilities, although I do not know where he might have learned such a thing… he has been convicted of crimes before... but there is no data on them, for some reason. We just need more information, or this case will be impossible to solve,' Quistis had a determined look on her face, her young eyes reflecting nothing but her incredible desire to help her friend.

'Well, I could probably help with that,' Seifer mentioned, after having fixed himself a drink thanks to the minibar in the room provided in the train for its passengers.

'What do you mean?' Quistis demanded level-headedly, leaning forward in her seat, this being the only indication of her enthusiasm concerning the matter.

'Well, obviously, if you keep a picture of your wife with you like I do, you probably don't see too much of each other. In our case, it's because she's dead,'

'Oh, I am so sorry…' the blonde woman cupped her mouth, finding a way to make even such a small movement effortlessly graceful as she did.

Seifer only took another mouthful of the alcohol, eyes fixated on the young woman before him.

'She died, three years ago… I lost much more that day, though, many people did. That's why, I have to kill Squall Leonhart. I have to get revenge on the man who murdered my family'.

* * *

_Post-authors notes_; The plot thickens. Well, mildly, I'm working my way into it. This is actually a very fun story to write, and your reviews really help! Many helpful people have already pointed out some changes I could make to become a better and more accomplished writer and they have been very effective in doing just that. So thank you to all the people reviewing, I hope you will continue to tell me your thoughts, and if anyone else decides that they should like to, then go straight ahead, the button is just below! Anyways, updates for information on the upcoming chapter will be displayed on my profile page (just click the link beside where it says 'Author' and you're there) and sorry for the lack of Seifer, he'll be coming into it in a big way very soon. I hope you liked it! 


	4. When Things Go Wrong

-

When Things Go Wrong

-

_A sunset, washing over the young mans form as he cupped her head in his hands._

_A caring look, a kiss, and then she leapt joyfully into his arms and he swung her around in a semi-circle. _

_Eyes never leaving one another. _

_Never leaving……_

_Hands holding on, not wanting to let go. _

_Hastened breaths, laughs, just talking. _

_Never leaving…… not wanting to let go……_

_Loving. That's all they seemed to want to do, just love one another._

-

Rinoa woke with tears in her eyes, dreams never seemed so heavy, normally. Never seemed so real. At least they weren't nightmares, like earlier.

She sighed and leniently swept a thick strand of hair from her eyes, glancing around the room.

To the empty bed.

Light crept in between the thin, see-through curtains in the corner of the room near the bed and she found herself in her usual morning daze.

Yet, thoughts finally pulled together from her subconscious and suddenly it clicked inside of her.

'Squall?' she chirped, whipping her head around sharply.

Nothing, the only other place he could be was the bathroom. She softly got to her feet, reaching for her blue trench coat which sat across from her on a chair. She had thankfully been wearing it when she had been kidnapped... It was an item of clothing she practically _lived in_. But then, she pulled back.

No, she didn't need it right now, her black tank top and shorts were good enough.

She crept over to the bathroom, stopping just before pushing the door open.

'What if he is using it? Or… doing something _else_?' she thought, blushing slightly as she did so.

'Squall?' she knocked unsurely on the door, pressing her body slightly up against it.

Nothing.

'Squall?' another tap, another step.

Again, nothing but silence.

Eventually she grew tired with it, realizing that if he weren't even inside she would feel completely stupid.

Irritably she shoved the door open, coming to think she was fully prepared for anything.

'Oh God?!'

Although, never prepared enough.

* * *

He would notice the little things at first. 

How she would flick her hair to the side, lick her lips before speaking, or even giggling, and how whenever she looked at him it would take her moments to realize it before smiling.

She was captivating, so lively and utterly un-intimidating.

So why couldn't he open his mouth now. Why couldn't he?! It seemed like it was glued shut.

The train ride had been torture, she had kept giving him looks over dinner, inviting him to come and sit with her. Then, every time she had said something, trying to get _anything _out of him he had simply brushed her off, but what could be done?! What if the subject of where he had come from came up again?

That could lead to bad results.

No, _catastrophic _results.

This _was _SeeD he was dealing with.

'S-Selphie?' - he screamed in his mind, where had that stutter came from?!

'Yeah?' she answered, kind of solemnly but he couldn't blame her after the pretty much silent train ride.

'Uhh, you think we're gettin' close?' the girl nodded and shuffled her feet in the snow for a few moments.

'Do you think the others are doing okay?' Selphie asked, shivering slightly even in the waist-length, purple jacket that she had brought along.

Her legs looked cold.

Irvine cocked a brow. Idea? Why yes, he had one.

'Selphie, you look _freezing_! Here, no! I insist!' and just like that Selphie Tilmitt was wearing his trench coat, smiling sheepishly at him as he looked on with accomplishment.

That _had_ to have scored points with her.

Yes, he was feeling quite accomplished now, and…… a bit chilly.

'Uhm, Irvine, you wanna' wear mine?'

It was like a big glowing glob, a bulging, massive vortex of intensely bright, neon-purple.

And he had to admit, it looked rather good on him.

* * *

'You found anything yet?' 

The blonde shook her head at Seifer, still too nervous to say anything. She had figured that there had been some history between the two, Seifer and whoever this 'Squall' seemed to be. But, murdering his _whole_ family?

How are you supposed to respond after that? What kinds of conversation are you supposed to make?

Quistis wouldn't know. She had never had family, probably never would, knowing her luck with men. Losing someone, to her, meant a name, nothing but a number, a mass of Seed's mourning, or pretending to be upset for a person that they had hardly known. Most people in her line of work were lucky to even get the chance to become good friends with _one _person. She knew that the only person she would ever cry for would be Selphie, since they had shared so much together. The SeeD exam, near-death experiences, and when one of Selphies friends hadn't come back from a mission, she had helped her through it.

Selphie was always good like that, talkative, and easily making friends. However, the blonde knew one thing that _she_ was exceptional at, jealousy.

She always felt it, that emotion in her gut.

She'd been working her butt off since she couldn't remember when, not sparring a moment for herself just in order to achieve her goals and impress her superiors. And all for what?

No social life?

Nobody to talk to?

Built up jealousy towards those that actually _could_ speak to other people so care-freely?

That was why she had been surprised. Surprised at how she had felt when she had heard about Rinoa. Actually _scared _for her.

When they had been younger, Rinoa and her hadn't exactly been on good terms to begin with. Rinoa had been loud, busy, always striving to be the center of attention. And Quistis would stand on the sides, telling Rinoa to calm down, spreading rumors about her to improve her reputation every time the raven haired girl would do something to reduce her popularity.

Which was often.

And again, all for what?

No social life?

She was just tired of it, tired of working for other people, and yet, it was the only thing she knew how to do. That had been the only reason SeeD had seemed like such a good idea for her.

She had excepted it. Excepted the thought that some people aren't meant for the spotlight, are only meant to be on the sides.

Unnoticed.

Disregarded.

Completely and utterly ignored.

'Hello? Earth to Quistis Trepe?!'

'Ahh!' she squealed, jumping after suddenly realizing the young mans face was in hers.

'Do not _do _that, Seifer!'

The man only thrust a creepy smile in her direction. Quistis could do nothing but wonder if he got some sort of pleasure out of her fear.

'Have-you-found-anything-yet?' he said, sounding like he was repeating it for the one millionth time.

'Oh, uh-uh, no, sorry……'

'Okay then, that's all you had to say' he shook his head at the suddenly quiet woman, and she wrapped her arms around herself, curling up even more into her navy-blue jacket with forest green trim.

Expensive looking, as it had been. She looked like a queen wandering through the cold, desolate plains of ice.

A kingdom that might just as well suit her, perfectly.

'Hey, come on! What're you standing there for? We have to go see this President!'

The blondes head shot up, she caught glimpses of emerald before the man turned his back on her again.

'Y-yes, coming'.

And once more, she was surprised by what she was feeling.

* * *

Rinoa didn't know what to do. What had Squall told her again? To go get a blonde man… spiky hair? 

She panicked, what had the name been again, what had it been?!

Oh, Zell… Zell Dincht, she remembered now. Although, she was quite nervous, Squall had seemed a… little less then hesitant to direct her to him.

She shuddered, remembering how scared she had been.

Hell, she was still scared out of her mind right now, she wanted to know, for once in the time that she had been with him, what exactly was going on!

'_Mama Dincht Warehouse, east road, follow that up two streets, turn south, then take one last turn west…… east, two streets up, south, west…' _

She couldn't afford to forget. She couldn't. Failure wasn't an option.

For once in her life Rinoa Heartilly was doing something she _really _did not want to do.

She knew, how before when she had complained about how many events she had to attend and how many people she had to meet with when she really hadn't felt like it, she was simply being spoiled.

A brat.

Selfish.

But now she wasn't, and it felt rejuvenating.

Felt like, for once, she was listening to herself more then ever before.

Because for once she wasn't doing this for herself but for the sake of somebody _else's_ wellbeing.

Possibly for his _life_.

* * *

Tick. 

Stillness.

Tock.

Stillness.

Tick.

Stillness all for the clock and the movement of his pen across the paper.

Etching its way across contract to contract, accord to never-ending accord.

But he took it in stride. The tall, thin man with the jet black, shoulder-length hair and confident smile.

Yes, he took it in stride.

Just like any other person has their way to deal with their troubles, confusion, loneliness…… he would just _smile_.

And laugh.

Even so, he always felt that something was wrong. Something was off within his calm and quiet office-life as President of Esthar.

Something was _missing_… and he knew what it was, and he had never bothered to go and search for it.

He wondered but he never looked.

_Why_?

Fear? Ignorance? Unwillingness to change?

He could never answer these things for himself, and honestly, he rather not. His life at present was not miserable, actually, it always seemed like he was blessed by some sort of angel. No man should have such luck as he.

Lately though, lately his blessing had began to torment him.

Too much calm, peace, stillness. Too much because he had conquered everything, his life now was slow and stagnant, and he found, gave him too much time to think.

He'd conquered everything in his life that had mattered up until now, but that one act kept coming back to haunt him. Not a little one, either. It had always nagged at him.

Was it worth it? Giving up a chance at a family for his prestige? A name, to make his people happy?

If they had known…… then what would have become of him? Only his loyal friends, Kiros and Ward had ever known... about _her_, and his son.

He was depressed, thinking about it all, all that he had given up and doubt started swarming him. Harassing him.

The nagging piece of him that he thought would numb over time, it only grew bigger, more prominent.

He realized then, in that quiet little office which he had lived in for the majority of his life, his hand paused in mid-signature and the irritating noise of the clock telling him that too much time had passed.

He realized it.

He wanted to see his son again.

* * *

'Rinoa Heartilly, I have come here to see a Zell Dincht?' 

Her voice seemed hurried but she didn't care. Her heart _needed _to stop racing, she wanted it to, but it wouldn't.

'Sorry, hun, he isn't here!'

'Please! _Squall_!'

Behind the counter in the small building, the fat woman paused. Mama Dincht Warehouse… it hadn't seemed like a warehouse from the outside, and inside, it looked just like a… bookstore.

'Squall needs help…' Rinoa elaborated, as the woman was now staring at her strangely.

'Squall needs help?' her jolly voice seemed unsuited to be tainted with such deeply-felt emotion.

She cared about him, it was evident in her tone. Rinoa found herself very curious now, how this woman and this 'Zell' were connected to her kidnapper.

_Why am I even helping him?_

'Come with me'.

It was an order, but she was getting used to following them.

She followed her. Down a fleet of stairs she hadn't known was there, behind the wide woman. She was shaking terribly, miserable and anxious. Had she ever cared so much about another person before? This was strange for her…

_Why am I even helping him?_

'Ay, you've got a visitor!'

The dark-haired girl stopped behind the woman, and when she moved to the side Rinoa could see inside the enormous room. It was like many of the rooms she had lived in at home, in her castle. The enormous fire place and large, mahogany table. The plush red carpet beneath her feet.

Then she noticed the man sitting stiffly at the table. Charts scrolled out in front of him, astrology charts.

Rinoa found this strange, another thing she found quite noticeably 'different' about this man was the odd tattoo he had on the side of his face. When he turned she took notice even more to his spiked-blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She immidietly thought of Squall, although, this mans eyes were more lively and less smoky and… mystifying.

'Yeah?' he asked bluntly of her, not even bothering to stand.

'Uhm-I-I have come here to ask you for help,'

She didn't like the look he was giving her, especially when he gave her the once over and inquired about 'what _kind_ of help?'

'You know Squall, do you not?'

'Leonhart?'

Rinoa shrugged her shoulders, _Squall Leonhart? Leonhart? That is his last name?_

'Oh, well, why? What's wrong?' he stood now.

'This morning… I- I found him in the washroom, he was on the floor and it looked like he was in quite a bit of pain… he just told me to come and find you, so…'

'Whoa, he's got you _whipped_!' Zell chuckled and moved in on her even more. Rinoa felt uneasy, especially after finding that the heavier woman had currently left the premises.

'He does not have me… 'whipped'! I am just concerned about him! He was in _pain_, it is the right thing for me to do, to help him!'

The blonde man moved around behind her, chewing loudly on some sort of hard candy. She could smell the strawberry flavoring.

'And who are you, even? Why do you want to help him so much?'

'I…' Rinoa paused, grabbing at her chest and pulling at the fabrics there, 'Does that even matter now? Look, are you not his friend? A good friend would help him now! They would not be asking questions and wasting time!'

'You've got a lively one here!' came the fat womans voice from behind her and Rinoa jumped, her feet nearly leaving the ground.

'Ha, yeah,' Zell replied and smirked, glancing over her once again, 'I know'.

Rinoa scoffed but followed behind him up the stairs nonetheless, silently and somewhat uneasily.

'Alright, I don't need to know who you are, obviously whoever the hell you are, you're important to him, because normally Squall does everything in his power to stay away from traveling with others… Edea must have-'

'Wait… What? Edea?'

The blonde halted just as they reached the top of the stairs, in the small bookstore.

'Yeah… Squall works for her… although, Squall only comes here when he's in hiding. Do you have any idea who you guys are hiding from?'

Again, Rinoa didn't like the way this man was looking at her. His eyes were much too focused on her reaction and he seemed to not be himself, she could tell even though she had never met him before. Although he didn't seem at all nervous around her. 'What is it that he is hiding?' Rinoa found herself thinking, trying to find answers for his unexplained and rather unnatural behavior.

'No,' Rinoa said, looking up at him with two big, brown-confused eyes.

'Oh, well, anyways,' the man continued, leading her outside, 'I just want to know, are you his lover? Because I know he doesn't have any real friends, only business associates… or maybe you're just an _order_?'

'An order?' Rinoa snapped, not understanding and glaring at the blonde man.

'Yeah,'

'Well I am not his lover, and I am not his friend, and I am _definitely _not an order!!'

'Well then…… why are you helping him?'

_Why am I even helping him? …… why? _

'I do not… know,' she answered, staring to her feet and the sand-like-dirt beneath her boots.

She was seeing his face, hearing his voice.

'_God! If I had known you'd be **this** annoying I would have kept you outside! I wouldn't have even **tried** to help you!'_

'Why am I helping him?' Rinoa looked up to the blonde man, who had stopped to look back at her, wondering what was wrong.

'Is not the better question… why is he helping _me_?'

* * *

'Great Salt Lake… are you sure we're in the right place?' 

'Yes! Cid told me that we were to come here! He said that this _is _the place!'

Seifer huffed, pools of ice-cold air hovering by his face before the heavy winds could sweep them away.

Quistis shook in her coat, looking around constantly.

She couldn't feel her cheeks anymore, or her toes, or her fingers, or her nose.

She _could _feel the nerve-racking eyes of her associate, and her kidnapped friends knight on her, however.

'I am going to call the others, we should come up with a plan… if we stay out here much longer then we will freeze'.

Seifer nodded, and strayed away from the woman while she set to calling the other two. Irvine, there seemed like there was something that man was hiding, and not well, either… and Selphie, that bright girl who seemed completely out-of-place in an army like SeeD. These people all seemed quite curious, but none as much so as the woman he was with.

Quistis Trepe. It didn't help that this woman looked nearly identical to his dead wife, but she was the complete opposite in personality. Usually, Seifer found himself being attracted to more bright and outgoing woman, more like Rinoa.

Rinoa?! Why was he even thinking about her? That little brat could get on every last one of his nerves without so much as uttering a word. Although, he had to admit how sexy she was. Those daring eyes, her graceful grip, and when she wasn't busy being a total airhead, her smile could completely captivate him. And that body...

Sure, he'd only known her for nearly two weeks, but she was the type of person who left an imprint on you.

So much unlike…

'Alright, I have called them,' the blonde woman said, coming up silently from behind.

'Oh!' he shouted in her face, suddenly growing angry at how subtly she had managed to catch up with him.

Although, when he looked at her, only slightly shaken by his outburst and shivering, he decided that he'd save his smart remarks, for now.

She looked so fragile to him, like she couldn't hurt a fly. Even so, she is the leader of an expert team of some of the most highly trained military combatants in the world? Sure, he had been _a little_ surprised to find that out.

In fact, he didn't understand it at all.

'Hey,' he muttered in the womans direction and she turned to look at him, her exhaustion showing, 'Why did you become a SeeD?'

She sighed and tucked her head further into her collar, seeming to glare around at the bad weather.

'Well, why did _you_? In fact, how come I never saw you around Garden before Cid assigned you to this mission?'

'Mission… it's more like _babysitting_!' he sneered, then looking at her curious face he continued, 'I was trained in Galabadia. Got transferred due to… inconsistencies in my listening skills. Your boy Cid realized that I'd be a nuisance to him at your Garden so he got me on the first suitable mission he that he could. One that he'd figure would get me off his back, quick, and for as long as possible'.

Seifer glanced back at the woman, whose mouth now hung open so wide it looked like she was trying to yawn.

'He did that?'

The blonde man laughed, 'Yeah, he did!'

Quistis kept looking shocked, then turned her gaze to the ground with a frown crossing her elegant features.

Then she laughed.

She laughed.

Seifer couldn't believe it, she was actually _laughing_.

'Haven't seen you laugh before,' he felt he should mention and she suddenly stopped, taking a moment to comprehend his words.

'Oh… well, I just-'

'_You_ just need to lighten up… I mean, just cuz' you're a SeeD doesn't mean you have to stop living'.

Quistis pursed her lips, shivering.

Although this time, he thought, it wasn't so much because of the cold.

'I-I shall try,' she smiled squeamishly at him again and he nudged her playfully in the shoulder.

'So, SeeD? Why'd you join it?'

The wind got louder and the blonde woman staggered, nearly falling.

She smiled at him when he grabbed her arm, preventing her impact with the ice.

'Uh-thank you,' she said, brushing a thread of hair from her face and looking back up at him.

'I felt it was the best path for me to take,' she answered truthfully.

'And why was that?' Seifer questioned as soon as they had both regained their composure.

She huddled up into herself again, unsure of how to reply.

'Well, honestly, it was mostly because of Rinoa,'

'Rinoa?' he lifted his brows at her and squinted his eyes, trying to figure out what she was trying to say.

'We were childhood friends, I always looked out for her… eventually though, when I had turned fifteen I needed to get away, she always wanted attention… and got it. It was frustrating to no end. So, I came up with joining SeeD, I said that I would be coming back to protect her, that I was doing it to be a good friend, instead of saying how I actually felt… which was... trapped,' she stopped, looked up at the man and suddenly a heavy-blush set her cheeks.

'S-Sorry, I do not know why I am telling you this…'

'Yeah, I don't either,' he said, watching her carefully, 'But I don't mind'.

He didn't have a chance to catch her expression before Irvine and Selphie came romping up, something exceedingly entertaining clawing his eyes away from Quistis.

'What the _hell _are you wearing?!'

'Oh, this?' Irvine asked, after finally understanding what the blonde mans question was pertaining to.

Seifer nodded.

'Well, Selphies the one in the dress, I thought she could use my jacket more then I could!'

The blonde man looked sickened as he glared between the two.

'You really wanna get with her that badly? That's kind of pathetic, man…'

'Ahh…' Irvine froze and Seifer glanced between the two, who both started flushing red.

How come he was making everyone blush today?

'So have you, located anything?' Selphie cut in hurriedly.

Both Seifer and Quistis shook their heads in unison.

Then Quistis mentioned 'We were given these locaters because Cid told us they would locate any static nearby, he said this city, '_Esthar_', should be hidden by some sort of barrier… although, it might be too cold, maybe the instruments are not working due to the weather?'

'Maybe-'

'Wait! I think I've got something!' Irvine shouted over Seifer, and they all gathered around him.

The locater blinked with red dots, indicating that there was heat or static nearby. Hesitantly, Seifer moved forward and stopped when he felt something strange.

In the midst of the blizzard his hand felt _warm_. Warm air.

He took another step forward and jumped.

Out of nowhere glass-like shingles started moving in front of him. His vision blurred and he turned away from the strange phenomenon towards the others, covering his eyes. Slowly, after all the noise had stopped he glanced up from behind his arms. Quistis, Irvine and Selphie all looked on with awe written all over their expressions, a strange glow reflecting on their faces.

He turned and gasped.

'I guess we _are_ in the right place…'

* * *

_Post-authors notes;_ Thank you for your support, I hope you liked this chapter! 


	5. Tribulations of Love

-

Tribulations of Love

-

I was astonished when we had first entered the chambers of the Estharian Presidential Residency. I have never seen anything like it before. It resembles a 'crystal palace'.

I gaze through the transparent walls, enthralled by the sight before me. An enormous city, vibrant and alive and glowing brilliantly at night. I have never seen anything like itbefore either. So large and high-tech, even Gardens technology cannot compare to _this_.

This beauty.

'Man, I really wish they'd hurry it up! I'm dying here!' I glance over to Irvine and sigh.

_He really needs to settle down, both him and Selphie…_

Selphie, as I have presently noticed, is just as jittery as Irvine, standing off to the corner of the entrance hall and fiddling with her nunchaku. I had expected her to be adoring the scenery as well.

And Seifer… where _is _Seifer?

'It's stunning, isn't it?'

I jump and glance to my side, only to find the answer to my question.

'Uh, yes, quite,' I manage to mumble, and turn back to the captivating sight.

'It makes me angry…' he recites eerily and stays focused on the glass. Then suddenly in the glass, I see his eyes quirk to the side, his gaze fixing on my own reflection.

'Why, why does it make you angry?' I say typically, but he looks at me like his statement had been obvious. Like I am a fool for not knowing what he had meant.

'Beauty is reality seen through naïve eyes… it's existent, but never eternal. Does that make sense to you?'

I cross my arms and turn to him, watching my own reflection from the corner of my eye.

'So you hate it because you worry about its end?'

_This is an odd conversation, I did not even know that he felt this way, or had such insight… _

'I don't 'worry' about it's end. It's end is inevitable. I just despise how life gives you everything you never knew you dreamed of, then rips it away…' he turns to me, his eyes intense, strong body movements.

Just by this I can tell he is talking about something important to him.

'Do you know what it feels like to live with guilt? A guilt more intense then any other feeling? Scent, vision…' he moves towards me and subconsciously I draw back letting my arms fall to my sides.

_What is he getting at?_

'More intense then touch,' he reaches out for me, his arm grabbing my own gently and then tugging harder and harder, I glare into his eyes as his face pulls in so close to mine that now he is whispering, 'more intense then that intoxicating high when two people caress each other, kiss,'-'What is it you want to say, Seifer?'

I snapped, he only lets go of my arm and backs away. His eyes never leave mine but I can tell he is not fully concentrated on me, he is not _seeing_ me.

'I never acknowledged what I had,' he states and stumbles back some more.

I only watch dumbfounded and uncomfortably fold my arms once more.

Then, I try to catch my breath as he finally _looks _at me. His eyes are penetrating and make me tremble to my very core.

'Seifer?' I whisper to him but he turns and walks away.

_Hey…_

'Are you all the SeeDs that Cid sent?'

I turn sharply to face where Irvine and Selphie are standing and where now a tall, thin, black man is as well. His hair is braided and pulled back, his face is worn and his lips are tight and he is adorned in what has come to be the familiar Estharian attire. Long dress-like gowns with shoulder pads that hang down to waists-length with inscriptions written on them in their language, I presume.

'Yes, we have come to speak with the president, I believe-'-'Of course, we have been informed about the situation by Cid… please, follow me'.

* * *

'Why is it taking her so long?' I hear myself hiss after the sentence as I push up against the toilet seat and try to stand for the umpteenth time since she had left.

'Oh well, can't say I didn't see this coming…'

I crawl to the doorway of the bathroom and-_Shit!_-since when did the bed get so far away?

I can smell it. I can smell my own blood, feel every slim, blade-like laceration on my body. I'm permanently scarred, and it's all her fault. Or, is it mine for staying that long?

I never would have left had she not ordered me-

'Squall!' I do my best to turn my head to the side, and I'm not surprised to find the raven-haired girl running towards me. Why does she always look so worried about me? Why does she _care_?

'What?' I say back then realize how moronic that is.

'What do you mean, what?! I went and got that Zell guy for you!'

'Zell…?'

God this hurts. So, Zell's here?

'Hey, whoa buddy, you don't look so good! Here-'

Normally I would get up and completely ignore his attempt to help me. Right now, however, that hand is looking pretty good to me.

I take it and breath out a sigh of relief once I'm finally resting on the bed, laying back with my arms to my sides.

'I think… Edea is doing this to me'.

I watch from the corner of my eye, Zell's expression, and the girls…

Zell doesn't seem too surprised, just curious about what I mean. I can't help but notice he seems _different_ then usual… not like himself. And the girl, Rinoa, she still looks confused and anxious. Completely lost. I guess that's mostly my fault.

'What do you mean, Squall?' I hear the blonde ask, 'I mean, since Edea gave me some of her powers… she can hurt me as well'.

Emotionless. I can't help but realize how emotionless I am, even as it seems that I'm so close to bleeding to death, in a grimy old hotel room, in the middle of nowhere.

Oh well, if this is the end, then this is the end. You can't stand up against fate.

'Well, can you help him?' Rinoa questions, I can tell she's trying to restrain herself from yelling or crying, or whatever little princesses do in stressful situations, situations out of their control.

'Yeah, I think so,' I hear Zell mumble, obviously deep in thought.

Why is it so hard to keep my eyes open all of a sudden? I think… I'll just rest my eyes…

'I know what to do, just help me lift him'.

'A-alright…'

… Good night…

* * *

'Please, come in'.

Quistis couldn't help but notice how different this room seemed from all the others. It was just as beautiful, with a transparent floor and the back of the room like one large window with the perfect view of the whole city. It just felt different to her. More solemn and dull.

The SeeDs all took their seats except for Seifer, who was resorting to standing off in the farthest corner of the room as possible, arms crossed and legs folded, leaning against the wall.

The president found this little display quite amusing, but Quistis sure as hell didn't.

'Seifer, come have a seat here, there is enough room,'

'I'm fine here,' he snapped back and the blonde decided to give up on the arrogant man.

'_**He** is supposed to be Rinoa's knight? I can see how she got kidnapped…' _

'Now, you are all here on the basis of your missing princess, am I correct?'

'Uh, yes, nearly. We were actually hoping that you would have some information on her kidnapper, at least, that was what we were told'.

The blonde glanced over at the other two with her. Selphie looked intent on making it appear that she was listening, but Quistis knew that most of the things going through that girls mind were 'blowing things up' and possibly their newest recruit, Irvine. In fact, now that she thought about it, Quistis couldn't remember for the life of her when Irvine had come to Garden… the first time she remembered seeing him had been at the train station…

She eyed the man suspiciously, who noticed after a while and winked at her quite swiftly and in a practiced manner.

Quistis couldn't help her first reaction, which was to glare.

'Excuse me?' the blonde suddenly snapped out of it, hearing the presidents worried voice.

'Uh, yes? Oh sorry, I am so sorry, what were you saying?'

The man only laughed at her light-heartedly and smiled. She noticed how young he still looked even though she had been informed that he was in his late forty to early fifties. The only visible wrinkles on the whole mans face appeared to be his rather deep laugh lines, which didn't surprise Quistis much, after all, he did seem to be a rather happy man, or at least he tried to appear that way.

'I was just asking you to verify the name, Squall Leonhart, am I correct?'

Quistis nodded fervently, trying to make up for her earlier mishap of disregarding him and becoming too wrapped up in her thoughts.

'Alright, one moment please,'

'Yes, of course'.

She also noticed his long, black hair and dark eyes, such wistful eyes, and yet, with a hint of exuberance shining through. The eyes of a man who had been through a hell of a lot in his lifetime but refuses to give up. Quistis did not doubt that his determination which was so evident, just in his look, had played a large role in him becoming the President of Esthar.

'Here,' he said as he dropped a folder on top of his desk after finding it in his drawer 'It is a file which includes every crime that he has committed, or at least all those noted…'

The gloomy look in the mans eyes seemed to intensify ten-fold as he said those last words. Quistis wanted to ask if somehow, he had been hurt by this man before too. What if his family had been taken away by this 'Squall' person too?

In stead, the blonde silently took the folder off the presidents desk and flipped it open cautiously, unsure of what she was about to see.

_**Date: 06/17 **_

'Hey, who is this girl?' Selphie commented making Quistis jump slightly, having missed the fact that Selphie had decided to lean over her shoulder to get a better look at the information as well.

'Ellone, she lived in Winhill, a quiet town, hardly noticeable on the map,'

'And you think this Squall kidnapped her?' Quistis questioned.

'He was reported spotted, yes,'

'Hmm…'

The blonde looked down again at the photograph, taking in the fluent lines of the girls face and the smile that seemed like it could light up a room.

'Hey, look Quisty! She looks Rinoa's age,'

'Yes, she does'.

Quistis set the picture aside, surprised to be faced with… a family photo? The woman looked a lot like the young girl had in the other picture, except older. Her mother perhaps? And the man on the left side of the picture with his arm around her… wasn't that the president?

'Sir? Is this, _you_?' the blonde asked, holding up the small photo.

'Uh, yes,' he responded, and held his hand out. Quistis handed it over and watched him intently as his own eyes scanned over the image before him, before he handed it back to her almost indifferently.

'And how is _that _relevant to whoever this Squall guy is?' Quistis had almost forgotten Irvine's presence in the room a moment ago, but now acknowledged his question, as did the president.

'You see that baby in the picture?' he asked, tilting his head to the side somewhat, making long strands of his jet black hair fall across his face.

'Yes,' Quistis said, somewhat taken aback by this mans good looks.

'That's him'.

A huff came from the corner of the room, where Seifer was standing.

All the SeeDs and the president looked over quickly and then back to the picture.

'So then, who is that woman?'

'Heyyy! Look at this!' Selphie yelled, pulling out a photo from underneath some papers (reports Quistis guessed) and holding it straight up.

'Wow, I never knew that Galabadia Garden got damaged like that!'

Quistis took the picture from Selphie with force, her eyes scanning over it frantically. It showed Galabadia Garden, small fires littering the entrance way and being put out by some of the SeeDs and cadets, and pieces of the Garden had been completely destroyed. Squall couldn't have done this all alone, could he?

'He, did this?'

The president nodded once again.

'But… _how_?' Quistis pleaded to know, dropping the picture to her lap.

'SeeDs aren't the only one's who can learn magic,'

'But, we are _trained_, are you saying that he used to be a SeeD?'

'No, there would have been a record of that,' Irvine chimed in, and all Quistis wanted to do was make him stay quiet, to keep his smart remarks to himself.

'My feeling is, he got his powers from somebody,' he stopped, considering all of the confused faces now staring back at him, 'from a _sorceress_'.

'A sorceress?' Selphie questioned impatiently, growing quite interested in the conversation.

The president nodded.

'Wait, it says here that many people were hurt or killed in this attack. Sixteen casualties?! One man could not possibly do that, not in a Garden!' Quistis couldn't restrain herself any longer, then the thought hit her.

'_Did Seifer not transfer from Galabadia?_'

'Seifer… this is…?' the blonde whispered, holding the picture up again and trembling. The president was speechless, not understanding the sudden change of topic.

'Yeah…' came the slow reply from the darkened corner.

'Hey, what are you guys talking about?' Selphie asked, in an actually _timid _manner.

'This was when… that Squall person murdered Seifer's wife,'

Quistis looked up from the picture to the desk, and then behind the desk to the president, suddenly feeling bad for straying so far off the topic. This was business after all, personal matters should be left out of it.

'What?!' the blonde heard Selphie cry, and heard the cowboy only mutter a surprised, 'Whoa…'

'I don't believe it was him,'

'What?' Quistis asked this time, staring straight into the presidents eyes now. They seemed bitter and angry.

'He wouldn't do that, Squall didn't commit these crimes, it wasn't him,'

'There was nobody else,' Seifer said all of a sudden, finally moving out of the shadows and towards the bitter man behind the desk.

'Believe me, it wasn't _him_,' Quistis winced at the harsh sound of his words, and found herself looking back at Seifer now, waiting for his retort.

'Oh yeah? And what makes you such a fuckin' expert?!' the strawberry blonde shouted, moving forward even more and slamming an angered fist down on the presidents desk.

'Seifer, please…' the blonde woman insisted weakly, only to be ignored.

'He is my son, that's what'.

* * *

'_Ah, where am I?_' 

'So, you are finally awake, huh?' Squall looked around for the tender voice, recognizing the pale womans charming face and midnight black hair immidietly.

'…yeah,' he mumbled back to her while pushing himself up into a sitting position. He was taken off guard by a sudden bump of the cart that they seemed to be in.

'What is this?' the stoic man questioned, while holding a hand to his throbbing head.

'A wagon, Zell's –mother I think?- let us borrow it, say, are you feeling alright? You looked like you were in a lot of pain back there…'

'Why do you care?' Squall barked irritably, his arms now wrapped around his aching abdomen.

'Hey, I was just wondering!' Rinoa yelled, frustrated with the dispassion of this man.

Squall grunted and just by the look on his face Rinoa could see that he was in a bad mood.

'Zell?'

'Yeah?!' came the boisterous yell from the front of the wagon, Squall had now managed to half-turn himself towards the source of his voice.

'Where… are we going?' he struggled out, and Rinoa worried about whether or not his wounds were still hurting him. Although, she didn't want it to show.

'Esthar…' the blonde responded and Squall could hardly hear his voice although he did understand what he had said.

'_Esthar? Why Esthar?_'

As if sensing the building question within his friend Zell decided to add, 'I know a guy there who can help you! He can extract the powers from you so that Edea can't hurt you anymore! Listen, I don't know how all this dumb sorceress stuff works, Squall, but I'm going to at least _try_ to help you out!'

Squall winced at the idea of having to accept other peoples help. Why did he have to get emotional and leave? Why hadn't he listened to himself before letting another person who would just abandon him… leave him again, in?

'Hey, by the way, how's Elle?' Zell asked in such a tone so that he wasn't yelling anymore but he could still be heard over the rigid wheels of the wagon.

'_Ellone…_'

'She's…'

'Who is 'Elle'?' Squall glared in Rinoa's direction. She seemed so innocent sitting there but for some reason he hated the sound of her name coming out of the girls mouth, even if it was just a nickname.

It put him in an even _worse _mood.

Zell, obviously having heard the black haired girls question decided to take the liberty of answering.

'She's Squall's girlfriend!'

'Shut up, Zell!' Squall started, actually trying to get the blonde to be quiet for once in his life. The last thing he needed now was to get into a conversation about _her_.

'Girlfriend?' Rinoa uttered, not believing her ears.

'_Squall… has a girlfriend? Wait, why am I even upset about this?_'

'No it is okay, you can answer him!' she stated, trying to sound as happy as she possible could in that moment.

Smiling and tilting her head to the side playfully.

'I don't want to'.

'_What is with him? Maybe he just does not want to talk about it because I am here? Maybe he is one of those guys_ _who tries to sleep with any woman he can and is upset because Zell has ruined it for him with me? Although.. he does not come across as that type…_'

'Hey, come on Squall! Just tell me! How is she?' Zell ordered from the front again, not understanding his friends hesitation.

'She's dead… Edea, killed her…'

* * *

**_Post author notes;_** Okay, I know that in the game some might argue that Ellone and Squall are related, so for them to have been connected in an intimate way is wrong. I agree with this, therefore, in this story they're not. Just so that I don't get any flames about how disgusting I am and blah blah blah. And sorry for the relative shortness of this chapter. Please review and tell me your thoughts, thanks! 


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